


Nice Lady

by Gulo



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Drabble, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 19:28:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16540721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gulo/pseuds/Gulo
Summary: I just really wanted ENT to have a scene like this.





	Nice Lady

The door was open to her. T'Pol entered Archer's quarters, as he'd been expecting her, but he was no where in sight. She heard sounds coming from his washroom, and started to back out so she could return in another few minutes, but a barking stopped her.

"Woo, woo!" Porthos trotted over with his tail held high. He was a fairly well behaved dog -- by T'Pol's guess -- but he was always especially exuberant to see her, her in particular. Porthos climbed up her shin with his front paws so he could reach her hand for a lick. 

T'Pol did not shuffle him away; with a little self-consciousness, she offered her hand. Porthos' tail redoubled its wagging, and he sniffed happily at her fingers and gave them many, many licks. The dog's scent was acrid to her, but she was getting used to it by now. It was not nearly as disgusting or disorienting as some other Earth scents she had had to endure. 

Further excited by her returned show of affection, Porthos started to jump. He was desperate to lick her face too, she could tell. 

"No," was all she said, calmly, "no jumping." 

The dog sat back on all fours, perked his floppy ears forward and whined slightly, his liquid brown eyes stared at her beseechingly. His lower half was still wiggling with his wags. T'Pol glanced toward Archer's washroom where the water was still running on and off. He would probably only be another minute. 

So, Porthos bounded off and swiftly returned with a toy in his mouth. He gnawed on it a bit before dropping it at the Vulcan's feet, and looking up expectantly.

The kong was a bit spitty. He'd been gnawing on it before she got there. She could smell old peanut butter he hadn't quite got the last of inside the smaller end. But T'Pol picked it up anyway and threw it out of the room down the hall. (The corridor outside Archer's room had special security protocols so that the dog could have the run of it.) Porthos raced after and tumbled for it at the end of the hall, picked it up in his jaws and bounded back with pride. He didn't quite want to give it up a second time, growling a bit to tease her when she reached. 

That's when Archer finally emerged, fresh-faced. "Subcommander. Sorry about that. I got some chili oil in my eye at dinner and had to wash it out." He made no comment about the attention T'Pol paid to the dog, but he smiled with warmth.

With her un-dog-spitted hand, T'Pol offered him the PADD she'd been carrying. "Here is the report. The moon does not have enough gravity for an atmosphere. It does however have an ocean under its ice, with hydrothermal vents. The moon is therefore repelling ice particles which contribute to the planet's ring, or rather torus, which is 120,000 kilometers in breadth."

"Astounding," Archer breathed as he took the PADD and scanned its screen. "And beautiful. That's a lot of ice. Thank you." 

"Woof." 

Now Porthos had dropped the kong and waited patiently by T'Pol's feet. She was careful not to glance down at him so as not to excite him all over again. "Is there anything else?" 

"I think we'll just continue on, but I'll make a decision later, after I read the rest of this. Thanks." 

T'Pol nodded and turned to exit. With disappointment, Porthos looked after her and stared at the shut door for a moment, before settling heavily back into his basket with a sigh. 

"Awww, I know, boy." Archer crouched in front of the little dog bed to pet the beagle's velvet ears and head. "You like her, huh? She's a nice lady. Yes." A faint wag. "Don't worry, she likes you too." 

He sat back at his desk to read the rest of the report.

~<3~


End file.
